Episode 14 - A Conversation with Future Dr. Shelika: Part 1
This episode features the first guest ever on Broke PhD Podcast – Future Dr. Shelika Joshi! On this episode, Future Dr. Shelika Joshi shares about her background and her journey. Additionally, this first part of our conversation focused on the topics of work-life balance, self-care, and prioritization of mental health and well-being.
To connect with Future Dr. Shelika Joshi, please feel free to follow her on Instagram or reach out to her via email:
Instagram: @phdwithshelika
Email: shelikajoshi@gmail.com
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Listen to full episode :
Here is a transcription of Episode 14:
0:17: Hello and welcome to the Broke PhD Podcast. I'm your host Dr. G!
0:23: On this episode of Broke PhD Podcast, I have my very first guest on the show, Future Doctor Shelika Joshi. I'm so excited to share my conversation that I had with Future Doctor Shelika and this episode will be part one of three parts. So please check out part two and part three later. On this episode and in this first part of our conversation, Future Doctor Shelika shares about her background and her journey of currently going through a PhD program. Additionally, our conversation focused on the topics of work-life balance, self-care, and prioritization of mental health and well-being.
1:04: [Dr. G] Shelika, if you just want to start off with sharing a little bit about your background so that the listeners can get kind of more context of who you are.
1:13: [Future Doctor Shelika] Yeah, of course. I'm so happy to be here. Thank you for having me. My name is Shelika, of course, and right now I'm doing my PhD in Clinical Health Psychology online while I'm working full time, which some days I don't know how I manage it, but I've been doing it for almost like two years now and you know, you really need those good productivity tools to help with that. Honestly, yeah. So basically, like a bit about myself is basically I'm, I'm South Asian, my parents are immigrants from India, and then they came to Canada and then me and my brother were born here. And I've just been so passionate about mental health at a young age. I struggled with anxiety at a young age but didn't know it was anxiety till I got to high school and I did my grade 12 exams and I kind of realized like, you know, with my anxiety and everything that, you know, I really wanted to help people. So I went into psychology at a College in Calgary and then from there I did a masters in Counseling Psychology. And yeah, basically my Professor was like telling me I'd be really good at research and just that I'm so passionate about like working one-on-one with clients because I'm a counselor myself. But I also thought research is just so important when it comes to providing like the services that we need as, you know, psychologists or frontline workers. So yeah, that's why I kind of went into immigrant and refugee mental health. And really looking at the trends of that here in Canada and try to build a pre-assessment tool with really easy questions that can be translated into many different languages, especially for people that have really low English. So that's kind of like the goal. So I'm kind of in like data collection focus group and I'm going to start writing my dissertation. I just finished my abstract. So yeah I’m in the starting point, which is a little bit, you know, this is the uncertainty part.
3:12: [Dr. G] The unknown area
[Future Doctor Shelika] So I talked to my supervisors and was like, ohh, the courses is not the PhD It's like the uncertainty of your dissertation. And it's been like a month that I've been in this, first month I've been in this process and honestly it's been more difficult than doing the course based stuff. So I mean, I'm trying to take it day by day. Yeah, that's just a little bit about myself. I'm really bubbly and really sociable. I like to make people feel comfortable. I'm really like an open book and I like to talk about like, talk and learn about different things. Like I'm not an expert at everything and I know that, but I'm willing to learn and if I'm like not well versed in something I can learn from people and other type of tools so yeah.
3:57: [Dr. G] I love that! I love just constantly expanding your mind. I think that's very important. So I love that!
4:03: [Future Doctor Shelika] In this day and age and in general, I feel like there's just so many things that as a person, like when people say “ohh, you have a PhD and you're an expert,” I was like, well, I definitely know a lot about the field I've researched in, but like, of course I see people doing PhDs in like different areas and I'm like, I don't know anything about that, but it's so cool. I was like looking at a documentary about people, like doing their PhDs about dolphins and how they communicate and all this cool stuff. And I mean, I'm fascinated by the ocean, but like, you know, learning about dolphins and just how they communicate and just all that cool stuff. I’m like that's actually really cool. You know, there's just so many things that, you know, you can do in a PhD and also, like, it takes a lot of work, right? So. And dedication.
4:56: [Dr. G] Yeah. And a lot of effort! And [*giggles*]
5:01: [Future Doctor Shelika] Yeah, you definitely know that as well, but you know, like, you know, there's also like the before the PhD, during the PhD and after, right?
5:11: [Dr. G] Yeah, like the different phases of things. So which is so true that I don't think a lot of people well they recognize it because obviously people who's doing educational programs, they know it takes a lot of work and a lot of effort, but being in it. Being in the trenches like [*giggles*] When you start to think about all the stuff.
5:28: [Future Doctor Shelika] I don’t have these undereye bags for no reason, right? Like I'm trying to get rid of them. But you know, like even though I get a lot of sleep and I do a lot of things like I, but I also have to take time out for myself. Like I do that in the weekends mostly because I know that if I don't take time out for myself, I'm probably going to get sick or crash or something and that thank God, hasn't happened since the beginning of the year and not really planning on that but I feel like I'm in such a flexible program that like even if I want to take a month off, like I can take a month off right? And that's what I'm trying to do like sometime this year is just take a month off and just, you know, maybe I need to get a fresh mind to go back and write my other chapters. And this is something I posted on my Instagram too, but it's not like just about finishing it quickly. It's it's about the process, right? So usually my program supposed to be done like if you're part time, like 6 to 8 years, full time, 4 to 5, but, honestly, I'm not really counting. I used to, but I feel like that just causes more stress and it's better to get it done when you're mentally well than not.
6:38: [Dr. G] Yes, yes! Yeah, no, I love that. And I wish I took on your mindset going through my program that that's so important that you pace yourself because you like you don't have to finish it all at like really quickly and be done like you can take the time that works for you. And I think that's amazing that you are planning to do that. And to be able to take a break in between too even just a month of just like resetting and recharging. That's amazing too. I never even thought of that like I know. Now that I’m done, I like Ohh well I guess like you could do this.
7:10: [Future Doctor Shelika] And it depends like where you are in life, right? Like I know people take PhDs in different parts of their lives. Some people in their 20s, their 30s, like, you know, kids. Most of the people in my program, they have kids. Lots of people have different things going on in their life. Like, I've met people who took two years off because they had kids or, you know, they had to do something for work. And, you know, having a job is important nowadays because they have to provide for their family, right? So everyone has their own, like, lifestyle and different kind of circumstances. So. Yeah. And I mean here in Canada, like I don't really know because my university’s in America, but I don't know many universities at all that do part time PhD programs here in Canada. Like mostly it's like 4 year full time intensive and then you can't work the same time unfortunately. But they give you a stipend of how much you can spend for yourself. Which is not usually enough, right? Yeah. And then funding and all that stuff added on with that. So it's, it's a little like, I mean, every country is different with their PhD programs. But yeah, I think like for me, I wanted to do a PhD just because I, I'm passionate about what I do. And, you know, like lots of people want to do a postdoc after. Some people don't. Some people do other things. I mean, for me personally, I haven't thought about doing a postdoc after because I, I have a career outside of my PhD and I mean, I am, you know, a counselor. So I like what I do. But yeah, like, that's the main question I get. Like, “Are you going to do a postdoc?” And I’m like I don’t know, good question.
8:56: [Dr. G] And that's like while you're in it, like you never know which path you're going to take, like, because that's something that's hard also to answer while you're going through a program and I like give you so much like credit and like, I think that's amazing that a lot of people are also in your shoes too where they're already in a career and they're doing a PhD because they just want to expand their knowledge or to have an opportunity, you know, to engage in research in a specific niche that they want to explore further. And so I think that's amazing. And then, you know, there's the flip side where some people are doing a PhD because it's like the next step and they are still trying to figure out what they want to do and what they want to explore and you know, if they don't figure it out in their program, then yeah, they might go on and do a postdoc and continue to do that. And, you know, either path is, is great. And so, yeah, there is those times where you're like, yeah, I don't, I can't give you that answer right now because like cool, like, you know, the finish line is still like a little bit ways away and I'm still trying to navigate the present, so like.
9:54: [Future Doctor Shelika] Exactly, like, I mean, I used to, I still kind of am a person who thinks about what am I gonna do five years from now. But honestly, it's kind of like, ohh, I kind of know maybe what I'm doing next year or the year after and I kind of maybe have an idea of what I do, but like. I don't want to like, fully focus on the uncertainty of everything and really focus on like the now and everything like that, right? So it’s, I’m just like yeah it’s a lot.
10:25: [Dr. G] Yeah, that can also be very overwhelming. And like, especially if you're trying to like prevent yourself from feeling burnout now, like to be like, OK, well, if I think about present and I think about, you know, two years from now and five years now and four years from now, like that can be very overwhelming. And so chunking it up and being like, OK, what is my year goal? What can I do, you know, to meet that year goal? And then maybe if I have, you know, those steps in place, then I can think about what's in two years and life is always constantly changing and evolving. And, you know, individuals are constantly changing and evolving that like, what you set out to do next year may not be the same by the end of the year.
11:02: [Future Doctor Shelika] Yeah, exactly! Like I have a goal that hopefully I can finish two chapters before Christmas. Now I mean, I, I am writing. I've been writing for a little bit the last month or so too. And I'm like, you know, I I'm pretty much like in my focus groups and, you know, I'm kind of in that data collection era, I guess you could say. So I'm hoping I can get two chapters done by the end of the year, but I mean, I'm not going to be disappointed if I don't. Right, because you know anything could get thrown at me. You know, you can't sometimes like, I feel like a lot of people in PhD programs are like, perfectionists. I mean, I am too possibly.
11:41: [Dr. G] What?
11:42: [Future Doctor Shelika] A lot of them, I mean, all of them, like really great with deadlines. Like I used to be such a procrastinator. Like I still am in lots of parts of my life. Academically, maybe work wise, I'm not. But outside of that, maybe not so much. But when it comes to school, yeah, like I am pretty much like Google Calendar, like I have everything set out there for work for school, like any type of commitments that I have so I don't miss out on things even in my personal life, right? So I tried to like balance everything the best that I can and I think one of the biggest things like I've been trying to do is like walk go outside and walk every three, three times a week maybe like. Over 10,000 steps. Like just you know, to balance myself out and not think about my dissertation and, you know, other things like that. But yeah, and I think having a good support system really helps. Like a very supportive family. Never heard my family say anything otherwise. They know that it's takes a lot of mental power to do a doctorate degree, right?
12:52: Well, that concludes this episode. But again, be sure to check out the other two parts of the conversation I had with Future Doctor Shelika. And just as I'm having a conversation and sharing the experience of Future Doctor Shelika, I ask you all to go out there and find your own support systems and have conversations with your peers. So that you can collectively navigate your programs rather than feeling like you're braving storms on your own.
13:17: If you are interested in hearing more episodes and learning more about Broke PhD Podcast, then please check out the website – brokephdpodcast.com – to continue to follow along. I'm also going to put a plug out there for my shop, so please please, please, go check out my shop with the website being – brokephdpodcast.shop – and to also share it with anyone and everyone you know. I am excited to share my art and to share my creativity with the world and I hope it brings you all as much joy as it brought me in creating it! Wherever you are in your own journey I'm wishing you all the best and remember – YOU GOT THIS! Thank you again for listening and I'm your host, Dr. G, and I hope you have a wonderful day!